Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free copy of this advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Honestly I don’t have an interest in reading this book anymore and I want to be more selective with what I request.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

This was a pretty good novella. The serious topic was well done. I really liked Penny and understood the dependency her sister put on her. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Mature-Content Rating: Trigger Warnings, Depression, Suicide Attempt

Hey Jude is from a line of books published by Orca Book Publishers that cater to teens who need teen content, but at a lower reading level for various reasons.

None of the characters really clicked with me. I loved the sisters’ names, Jude and Penny Lane, after the Beatles songs, and the story that came with them, but the characters really come out flat. With a book so short, strong connections have to be made fast and I couldn’t find that sisterly love/hate relationship.

Jack is another story all on its own. There’s confusion to the gender, the character stating they are transgender but Penny and the narrator still referring to them as he/him. Maybe he still prefers it?

The story gets props for showing the dirty (literally) side of depression; that it doesn’t just effect emotions, but hygiene, sleeping, and overall health as well. But the story doesn’t feel like a full story. There’s little conflict and not much of a climax, and no real resolution at the end. With such a short story, I think it would have been wiser to focus on one topic: either this sisters and Jude’s depression or Penny’s new friendship with Jack.

Overall, Hey Jude just doesn’t make those solid character connections I look for in books, especially in stories with such hard-core topics.

A coming of age book that gut punches you right in the feels. A book all high school students should read. A relatable book for all.

**I would like to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This was a novella length story that provides a look into what it is like for family to live with mental illness. For 17 year old Penny her life revolves around the wellbeing of her younger sister Jude. This book has a pretty accurate depiction of depression, and I was surprised how much was able to be presented in such a short book. By the time we meet Jack I felt like I was already stressing with Penny over if she had time to understand her feelings for Jack when she was so busy monitoring the well being of her sister.
I feel like this could have made an amazing full length novel, and I would have loved to read it, but I am still impressed that for the short amount of pages it was there was topics including suicide and mental health, a transgender character, family love and loss, and kids with adult responsibility. I truly hope the author considers expanding on the characters one day.

HEY JUDE (yes after the Beatles) is a super fast-paced story of only 112 pages that had me captured immediately. If you have been following my blog for a little while, you know that I am incredibly into psychology (PhD week 1 down!), and this book hits all of those feelings.

The story is about Penny (also the Beatles) who has a sister suffering with severe major depressive disorder and a mother who has to work overtime to keep them barely making ends-meat. This makes her the person responsible for essentially keeping her sister alive. They have a super tight-knit relationship that I always love to see, and it feels genuine. There is conflict between (how could there not be?), but so much love that the conflict seems to fade away.

I don’t want to dive in too deep to the story, because it would be really easy to and with a story this short I feel like it would give so much away.

To summarize….

Buy the book. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited and the paperback copy is $11. If you don’t want to buy, request it at the local library. Actually, request it at the library either way. It has so much representation in it that I know it’ll help so many teens if you do. It is even designed to help teens who have difficulty with reading.

This story takes place over a couple of days, focusing more on a moment, then on growth over time. That is not to say that there is not growth.

Trigger warning: Suicide

The story is told from Penny’s POV as she struggles to keep her sister Jude from spiraling into a major depressive episode, while also keeping up her grades, working, helping their mom around the house, and meeting a new crush.

Everything Penny does is for Jude, not because she feels obligated, but because she loves her so much and is afraid to lose her. Unfortunately this means that Penny takes on way more than she can handle, and denies herself things that she really wants to do. While I relate more closely to Jude on the depression aspect, I do relate to Penny’s care taking urges.

Jude is a gifted artist, but suffers from major depression and has been down the suicidal spiral before. While she adores Penny, Jude faces a world filled with deep emotional pain and just wants it to end. This is something I relate to immensely.

Their mother has a small role in this story, but loves both of her daughters and is just trying to do her best to support them.

The final character is Jack, Penny’s new crush. Jack has been on the depressive spiral himself, so he understands and is supportive of Penny’s need to care for her sister. He also encourages her to start doing things for herself as well. While they connect instantly, Jack has some things in his past that make him hesitant to start a relationship with Penny, afraid of how she may react.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and I liked that it was designed for “striving and struggling readers.”

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley and the publisher {Orca Book Publishing} in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved how fast paced it was. I loved all of the characters and how supportive they all were towards each other.

I loved how much representation this book had for both mental illness and the lgbtq community.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, it had so much eye opening and inspiring content. I loved how this book showed all of the hardships involved in mental illness not only for the person with the mental illness but also for family members, friends, and teachers.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

It may be short but it packs a punch. A strong story about a girl with mental health. It'll give you a peak as yo how it affects her life and her family's life. Well written. Check this out. Happy reading!

I deeply enjoyed this book and was drawn to it because of a friend who was named Jude after the song as well. Such an emotionally powerful coming-of-age story.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc of this title. I chose this arc because I’m a Beatles fan and the title appealed to me. This story was fast paced. It read like a short story to me, but I could see this appealing to students who are reluctant readers. I also really love a book that highlights mental health for young adults, and this one does that well.

Review by Lisa Pineo

*I received this eARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
My ratings: * I hated it ** It was okay *** I liked it **** Really good ***** Great
TW (trigger warnings): severe depression, suicide attempt, self-harm


"Hey, Jude" by Star Spider is a short but not so sweet YA novel about family, mental illness, new love and responsibility taken too far. 4½ stars

Description from the publisher:
Seventeen-year-old Penny is struggling to balance caring for Jude, her sister with mental health challenges, working part-time to help her mother with money issues and facing her final year of high school. She does not need any distractions. But then she meets Jack. The two of them click immediately. But as quickly as things heat up, they then cool down, and Penny isn't sure why. Does she have room for her feelings for Jack alongside her worries that her sister is crashing into suicidal depression again?

I really liked this book. Jude and Penny Lane (yes, those are names from Beatles songs) are sisters in a very co-dependent relationship. Penny has taken on a mother role looking after her younger sister with mental illness. She has made a pact with Jude that as long as Jude participates in life Penny will keep the severeness of Jude's current level of depression from their mother. Taking this secret on along with constant care of Jude, working at a crappy job, keeping her grades up and now meeting a potential boyfriend are taking their toll on Penny. She knows she's taking on too much responsibility but doesn't see a way out of it. Will she be able to keep juggling all these obligations or will they all come crashing down around her?

The author did a great job making the reader feel the extent of Penny's stress and the pain of Jude's mental state. I also loved the inclusion of an LGBTQ character that wasn't made a big deal of. My only complaint (the reason for the loss of that half star) is that the book seemed a bit too short. I had just gotten to know the characters when I finished the book and wanted to keep reading. I get why the author wanted to stop the story there but still wanted more. Definitely recommended.

This book is okay. I think the short nature of it directly reflects the short nature of life, which is smart, but it also hinders the characters & storytelling of the book as a whole by not having enough details. There were parts that I smiled at, and parts that were a slog to get through.

Now, let's talk about the characters. Penny Lane, one of two sisters, is our main protagonist & the story is told through her point of view. She did have a nice story arc, beginning as a caretaker, to realizing she can't keep giving her time to other people (thereby focusing on stuff that SHE wants to do). As a character, she's boring, which some part stems from her not fully giving time to herself, to explore stuff that she wants to do.
Jude was a good character. My favorite scene in the book was when (spoiler) Jude was discussing her distaste for life, and how she describes the pain that is living.
Jack was, out of the three, the one character I enjoyed the most. The awkwardness in his scenes make sense once we get to the end of the book, and understand more about him.

The book does a very good job at normalizing sexuality, gender identity, and mental illness, but I wish everything could be fleshed out a bit more, to smooth out the rough edges. The book was predictable in certain parts, but as a YA novel, it's to be expected.

This is a hi-lo read from Orca's Soundings line. It is meant to be short, a page turner, and an easy read. Hey Jude fits perfect in the Soundings line. It is a gritty an emotional young adult novel. Jude is a secondary character and struggles with severe bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. Her sister, Penny Lane, is our main character, who struggles to keep the balance in her family and care for Jude. This novel has perfect pacing and shows the other side of mental health, the kids who try to help their loved ones who suffer with the illness. An excellent addition to any library, this story opens up lines of communication for any kids who are struggling.

Review will post on August 18, 2020.

3.5 Stars

This book was good it was very short i feel like i would have enjoyed it more if it was longer.
Jack was a good character
The main character was not really my favorite i feel like thats why i rated it a little lower.

I love that this book touched down on mental health, pansexuality and also trans folks.

Overall it was a good quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orca books for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book and enjoyed the characters a lot. I appreciated the attempt at approaching mental illness, but felt that there was more to be said. I know this book was for reluctant readers and was short on purpose, but I would have loved to know more about the characters. I loved that Penny ended up realizing she needs to love and take care of herself as well. I would have also liked to see more about Jude (or even some chapters in her perspective since the book is titled based on her character). Maybe a follow up book in Jude's perspective would help dive into what it's like to have a mental illness more. It was a decent start, but I definitely wanted more. The fast paced nature of this book left a lot to be desired. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the story but felt myself wanting more details regarding mental illness and the relationships between the characters.

I think this book does a great job of accomplishing its goal of being engaging and readable. It is a page-turner and I found myself really caring about the characters. I think teenagers will love the relatability of this story and the ease with which it is written. The prose is simple, but it works well for the intended audience and purpose. I really like Penny Lane and the inclusion of Jack. I think it was a great idea to tell the story from Penny’s point of view instead of Jude’s because it flips the classic troubled teen narrative we saw in Perks of Being a Wallflower to be seen from a different perspective. You get to experience what it is like to love someone who is depressed, which isn’t something I’ve seen very often in this genre. I really enjoyed it! It was meaningful and quick and easy—a very satisfying read.

HEY JUDE is a concise but powerful novella about two sisters, Penny and Jude, whose relationship is complex and, at times, very heavy. Jude struggles with depression, with a history of suicide attempts, and Penny, after their father's death and their mother's subsequent need to work long hours to make ends meet, is Jude's primary caregiver. They are both in high school, and Penny is preparing for her senior year. We follow Penny and Jude as they banter like typical sisters, as Penny meticulously doles out Jude's meds, as Penny frantically tries to find Jude and piece together signs that something is wrong, as Jude struggles to find meaning in her life, and as Penny discovers a new kind of love.

This is a book that I initially thought might be a little bit predictable, but in reality it is intensely profound and an incredible amount of representation is included within this story's few pages. The way Star Spider represents and discusses mental illness, those who deal with it, and those who care about those who deal with it, in such a raw, powerful, beautiful, devastating, compassionate way that all YA readers who read HEY JUDE will learn from and relate to. HEY JUDE also deals with sexuality and gender identity in a way that is very natural and normalizing, which is also a profound inclusion. This is a really meaningful book that will make any youth dealing with mental illness, caring for people with mental illness, and questions or uncertainty surrounding their sexuality and gender identity and how to live their truth feel comforted, safe, represented, and uplifted. I would definitely recommend HEY JUDE to any YA reader and also any adult, as the lessons we learn from Penny, Jude, and Jack's stories are useful to any reader, no matter their age.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a free advance copy of HEY JUDE. I am looking forward to this release!